GOG's 2008 Samhain Rituals and Vigil

GOG held two Samhain rituals, a vigil, a pumpkin parade, and a seance. 28 attended the Saturday ritual, 18 stayed at the Vigil until dawn and helped take down altars and clean the house, and 20 attended the Sunday ritual.

Our Samhain rituals honored the Oneiroi, the Greek Dream Kings. Imagine eating a lot of junk food, falling asleep, and dreaming of a Druid ritual.... Participants were blindfolded and seated and left to dream the ritual in their own heads, cued by sounds and smells and the invocations. Meditations brought us into a waking dream state where we could each individually meet our kindreds. The Oneiroi were Morpheus (Jenniforensic), Phobetor, whom the Gods call Ikelos (Maggie), and Phantasmos (Jeff on Saturday, Josh on Sunday). Hypnos (Marc) opened the gates. Our muses were Eros (Karl on Saturday, Norma on Sunday) and Thanatos (Maria). Helpers included Tricia, Patty, Ed (Saturday) and Karl (Sunday). Our omens for Saturday (from Ian Corrigan's new 9x9 deck) were: The Wonder Child, The Family Tomb, and The Cosmos Tree. For Sunday, our omens were: Feather, The Milky Way, and Tilled Land. We also gave each participant an omen from this deck, and a spooky greenish marble of uranium glass.

We kept a fire going all night and sent offerings to the Kindreds and the Oneiroi, despite the early rain. Altars were dedicated to the Oneiroi, Nyx, Nyx's children, our Ancestors, our Nature Spirits and Spirits of Place, Gods and Goddesses, Manannan Mac Lir, Brigid, and the Outsiders. Near midnight we paraded a pumpkin noisily around the block (thanks, Maria). During the night we read from our grove Book of Names of the beloved departed, and we held a puja to Kali and a traditional Spiritualist-style seance. The backyard was full of altars under the tarped grape arbor. Lots of good food, good conversation all night. Thanks to all who helped out cleaning and setting up. Special thanks to Maria, Marc, Jen, and Josh for helping to set up the house Sunday morning. Special thanks to our Kitchen Witches who went beyond the call of duty: Alex on Saturday and for the Vigil until dawn, and Bob on Sunday.

Photos by Bob, Marc, Ed, Norma, Jeff, Elena.